Girls Basketball Preview: Edgewood Warriors

With 11 players returning with varsity experience, optimism is as high as ever surrounding the Edgewood Warriors’ girls’ basketball program.

Fifth-year head coach Randy Vencill, who is 26-61 in his tenure, believes his squad is poised for a potentially big year.

“I feel like our team has grown leaps and bounds from last year,” Vencill said. “I feel like we should compete in every game. I believe our strength will be our senior leadership and our defense. We hope our defense will create easy offense for us.”

The Warriors finished 11-12 overall and 3-8 in the Chagrin Valley Conference Lake Division last season.

Edgewood’s fortunes are trending up with a large group of talented players competing for playing time.

“I would say finding playing time for all the different players,” Vencill said in response to the most significant challenges his team will face this winter. “We have a strong varsity group and only so many minutes in a game.”

Senior Kaci Kanicki won’t battle for playing time.

She earned it in her previous three seasons at Edgewood and returns to the starting lineup after earning the Ashtabula County Player of the Year award and first-team all-CVC honors as a junior.

Last season, Kanicki averaged 17.7 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 2.6 steals per game last year while also blocking 27 shots. She is on pace to reach the 1,000-point mark early in the season.

“Kaci has been a leader since day one,” Vencill said. “She leads by example and has done so much to help get our program moving in the right direction. If there were a draft, she would be my No. 1 pick every time.”

Joining Kanicki in the starting lineup are seniors Johanna Annick and Tori Skaruppa, and juniors McKenna Vencill and Katie McCollister.

Annick, a forward, returns to the starting lineup after averaging 7.5 points, 6.7 rebounds, and two steals, along with 19 blocks as a junior. Skaruppa, a forward, averaged .5 points and 1.5 rebounds per game off the bench last season.

“Jo is our workhorse inside. She is a forward/center but can handle the ball like a guard. She is our team’s leading rebounder and we are expecting big things from her this year,” Coach Vencill said. “Tori has shown senior leadership in this early season. We expect her to clean up on the boards and play great defense this year. We are expecting big things from Tori this season and can’t wait to see her growth.”

McKenna Vencill, a guard, and McCollister, a point guard, both are returning starters.

Vencill averaged 8.7 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.4 steals per game on the way to earning second-team all-county honors. McCollister earned honorable mention all-county honors after scoring seven points per game with 4.9 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 3.8 steals per contest.

“McKenna was our most improved player last year. She is a great all-around athlete and is improving every day as she learns more about the game. She has become a great shooter and is one of our leaders on the defensive end. She is one of our spark plugs,” Coach Vencill said. “Katie can do it all. She has a motor that doesn’t stop. She is like the Energizer bunny for us. Katie has worked hard in the offseason and leads the team by example. You want your point guard to be a coach on the floor and that is what she is.”

Providing quality depth for the Warriors are seniors Giavanna Victor and Brianna Melaragno, sophomores Avery Vencill, Kylie Miller, Leigha Guyton, and Isabella Stern, and freshman Annie Mae Johnston.

Vencill, a guard/forward, scored 2.2 points per game last season to go along with her 2.0 rebounds and one assist per contest. Melaragno, a guard, is a standout defender.

“Avery is one of our better shooters and ball handlers. She has worked on her post game over the summer and I expect her to help out inside along with handling the ball. She gained valuable minutes last year as a freshman and she should have the confidence she needs moving forward,” Coach Vencill said. “Bree is a player that gives her all and isn’t afraid to do the dirty work. Loose balls, rebounds, guard the other team’s best defender; Bree is always up to the task. We look for her to bring her senior leadership to the team this year and help us complete a successful season.”

Victor is a forward, Miller and Guyton are guards, and Stern is a forward/center.

“(Victor) is a great all-around player who can shoot the lights out. She is the consummate team player. She does whatever the team needs of her and we look for her to give us quality minutes off the bench this year,” Vencill said. “Kylie is a gifted basketball player that finds a way to get to the hoop and score the basketball. She is a natural athlete who does whatever is asked of her. She gives her all on defense and will help us score the basketball this year. Leigha has a motor that doesn’t stop. She is one of the fastest girls on the team and can jump out of the gym. She is fine-tuning her basketball skills, but she has all the qualities of a five-tool player. We expect big things from her this year and years to come. Isabelle is our inside presence. We expect her to be the equalizer when we play teams with height. She is a great rebounder, scorer, and team player. We are looking for big things from her this year and years to come.”

Johnston has made quite an impression in her short time with the program.

“Annie is a freshman who we look to get quality minutes this year,” Vencill said. “She is a great ball handler and scorer. Annie is a hard-nosed player and does not back down from any competition. She has a bright future ahead of her.”

With a deep and talented roster, Edgewood has the potential to achieve all of its goals this season and more.

The Warriors hope to beat all of their Ashtabula County opponents, win a conference title, and make a run in the playoffs.

To do that, Vencill and his squad will focus on the fundamentals.

“I think it always depends on defense,” he said. “If our defense is sound, I think we compete in most games this year.”